


Spoken, Unspoken

by stardust_20



Category: Star Wars: Rebels
Genre: Angst, F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-11
Updated: 2017-10-11
Packaged: 2019-01-16 04:08:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 809
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12335187
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stardust_20/pseuds/stardust_20
Summary: Kanan and Hera love each other, always have, always will, but will they ever act on those feelings?Spoilers for the S4 trailer that aired in September. If you're reading this, you know the scene I'm working from. I hope we'll see this but I have my doubts ... so I had to go ahead and write it, that way it DID happen.  :)





	Spoken, Unspoken

“So I guess you never really thought about us.”

The words had stayed with her since Kanan had uttered them, worming their way into her heart and mind though she’d tried not to let them become a distraction during the mission. A somewhat impossible task as Kanan, even when not pushing her out of her comfort zone, tended to be constantly on her mind.

She understood why he’d said them. Why he’d needed to. They’d danced around their feelings far too long already, nearly losing one another to this battle or that, knowing that there was every chance the next time one or both of them wouldn’t make it back. And too many things would be left unsaid.

Hera was fine with unsaid. He knew how she felt. She knew how he felt. Why bother stating the obvious? But Kanan obviously wanted to take it a step further. He didn’t just want to have those feelings, he wanted to _act_ on them.

That terrified her more than any battle she’d faced.

~ ~ ~ 

She found him in the cargo bay after the worst of it was over. The Ghost had taken only minimal damage, as had its crew.

The same couldn’t be said for all of the fleet ships.

He appeared to be busy checking the cargo but she knew he was aware of her presence. He’d never needed eyes to know when she was there. Still, he didn’t speak or otherwise acknowledge her presence.

“I have thought about us.” Her voice was low.

No response.

“More often than you know.”

Finally he turned, vacant eyes boring into her. “And you decided you weren’t interested? Or just couldn’t be bothered because this war you’re fighting is more important?”

She walked towards him, exasperation mixing with sorrow. “Kanan, I l… “ There she stopped, unable to say the word. She’d called him love many a time, the endearment always an expression of her feelings though he’d never called her out on it. “I care for you. A great deal. The only thing I want more than there to be an “us” is to overthrow the empire and restore freedom and hope to the galaxy.”

“Why can’t we do both?” He reached both hands out and she immediately took them, feeling her resolve weaken at the warmth of his touch.

“When would we ever have time for us? We barely ever get a moment’s rest now, let alone the space to be alone. Besides,” she looked away, a movement not lost on him, “it’s already hard enough when you and Ezra go off on Jedi business. I’m so afraid I’m ….” She stopped, choking up, and sniffed. “I worry,” she managed to whisper.

Kanan moved in closer, squeezing her hands a little tighter. “Refusing to acknowledge feelings doesn’t mean they aren’t there,” he said softly in that voice that always undid her. “I worry about you too, love.”

There it was. That spoken, unspoken declaration of love. 

He swallowed and took an audible breath. “We lead dangerous lives, no one can deny that. It’s not easy, this fight, but you’re the one who convinced me it was worth risking our lives for.”

“And I’m thankful every day to have you by my side, Kanan. You know that.”

“But what exactly are we fighting for? The right and freedom for all people to be happy in the life they choose.” She nodded. “What about us, Hera? When do _we_ get to be happy? After it’s all over? What if it never ends? What if this war drags on longer than our lifetimes? What if we don’t make it to the end? You know as well as I do that any mission could be our last. We could both die. Or worse, one of us could end up left behind, alone, to continue the fight.” He swallowed hard and dropped his head down so their foreheads were touching. “I don’t want to wait until it’s too late and then wish we’d done things differently,” he whispered.

Hera pulled one hand free and laid it on his cheek, feeling the whiskers tickling her hand. “Neither do I, love,” she whispered back. 

“Good.” He nuzzled her, their noses rubbing together. “I know it isn’t going to be easy.”

“Nope.”

“And I know there won’t be a lot of time - “

“Definitely not,” she interrupted, voice growing husky.

“But we have this moment right now. Let’s not waste it.” Kanan moved his head slightly so their lips were nearly touching.

“You know how I hate wasting time … “ she murmured against him, lips finally touching his for the first time.

At that moment Chopper barrelled into the cargo bay, chattering and chirping as though the universe were coming to an end.

The spell of the moment broken, they both took a deep breath and spoke with one mind. “Get lost Chopper!”

~ fin ~


End file.
